Family Card Game Event Abruptly Called Off
Tokyo — A Pokémon Trading Card Game event planned for January 31 at Tokyo’s Yasukuni Shrine was abruptly cancelled after drawing intense criticism from China and online commentators, prompting The Pokémon Company to apologise and remove all related information from its website. The cancellation highlights how historical sensitivities and geopolitics can intersect with even seemingly apolitical entertainment events.
The Pokémon Company, an affiliate of Nintendo, said the listing for the event — aimed at children and families — was mistakenly published on its official Pokémon Card Game website due to a verification oversight, and that it “should not have been held to begin with.” The company pledged to review and strengthen its event screening systems to prevent similar incidents in the future.
Yasukuni Shrine: A Symbol of Historical Controversy
The choice of venue was immediately contentious. The Yasukuni Shrine honours approximately 2.5 million Japanese war dead, including Class-A war criminals convicted after World War II — a fact that makes it one of East Asia’s most disputed historical sites. For many in China, South Korea and other countries that suffered under Japan’s wartime military aggression, the shrine is seen as a symbol of lingering lack of remorse for Japan’s wartime past.
Visits by Japanese political figures to Yasukuni have previously sparked diplomatic rows, and the idea of hosting a children’s gaming event there added an extra layer of controversy, linking a globally popular franchise with a site laden with historical sensitivities.
Backlash in China and Online Reaction
The announcement triggered swift criticism on Chinese social media platforms, where screenshots of the event listing circulated widely and drew strong reactions. State media editorials cited trending online comments, urging firms to respect historical memory and avoid activities that could be perceived as minimising wartime atrocities. “Brands that disregard history and hurt the feelings of the Chinese people will ultimately be abandoned by the market,” the Communist Party’s People’s Daily said in an editorial widely seen on Chinese platforms.
Chinese state-run outlets such as Global Times also weighed in, calling entertainment events at the shrine an “affront to historical truth” and suggesting they were inappropriate for family-oriented brands like Pokémon. Public reaction in China, where discussion topics are shaped by government curation of social platforms, nonetheless fed into a broader narrative critical of Japan’s handling of wartime issues.
Pokémon’s Apology and Corporate Response
In its statement, The Pokémon Company explained that the event was organised by a certified card game player and uploaded to the Company’s event listing system — a platform that allows individually certified organisers to propose activities. However, the listing should never have appeared under the official banner, the company said, and was removed once the controversy erupted.
“It was an event that should not have been held to begin with,” the company said, adding that it had acted promptly to cancel the programme and remove the related postings once the problem was discovered. It also offered apologies in both Japanese and Chinese to broader audiences. The firm emphasised its motto of “connecting the world with Pokémon,” and said it would ensure greater care in future promotions.
Political Context and Regional Tensions
The incident occurred amid broader Japan–China tensions, including diplomatic friction over current Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s remarks suggesting Japan could respond militarily if China took action against Taiwan — a sensitive geopolitical flashpoint. These tensions have manifested in a series of retaliatory diplomatic and cultural responses, including boycotts and postponements of media releases in each country.
In this climate, even family-friendly event listings can quickly take on political undertones, underscoring how historical grievances and modern diplomacy shape perceptions of cultural products and corporate behaviour.
Fans and Analysts Weigh In
Discussion among fans and observers has spread beyond official media. Some commentators on public forums noted that the event was not directly organised by The Pokémon Company but was nevertheless perceived as endorsed due to its appearance on official listings — prompting calls for clearer oversight of user-generated event postings. Others pointed out previous controversies involving Pokémon and Yasukuni Shrine as evidence that the issue is a recurring sensitivity for the brand in East Asia.
Analysts say the cancellation is likely to spur internal reviews at Pokémon and other gaming companies with global reach, as they reassess how event approval systems handle politically sensitive venues and geopolitical flashpoints. As one online commentator observed, even if not intentional, “picking a controversial location for a children’s event invites scrutiny once overseas markets weigh in.”
Lessons and Looking Forward
The aborted Pokémon event at Yasukuni Shrine highlights how corporate brands must navigate not just local audiences but international historical memories and diplomatic landscapes. In a region where wartime history remains a visceral and contested subject, entertainment companies face a delicate balance between community engagement and respect for cross-border sensitivities.
The Pokémon Company’s prompt cancellation and apology may help it avert longer-term damage, particularly in key markets like China, where the franchise has a substantial fan base and significant commercial stake. Nonetheless, the controversy underscores how even seemingly innocuous promotions can become entangled in broader geopolitical narratives — and how global brands must remain attentive to the symbolic weight of locations, histories and collective memory when planning events.
